ADE Is 30 Years Old and I'm Still Pretending My Trainers Are Fashionable

Amsterdam Dance Event has announced the second wave of artists for its monumental 30th-anniversary edition—and, as someone who has attended ADE for the past 15 years, I’m struggling to process this information.

ADE is 30. Thirty.

That means it is now old enough to complain about the volume, consider sensible footwear and tell younger festivals that electronic music was better before everything was filmed vertically.

Meanwhile, I’ve apparently spent half of ADE’s lifetime racing between venues, surviving on chips and questionable energy drinks, collecting wristbands that remove arm hair, and insisting that a 10am conference panel is manageable after getting back to the hotel at 7am.

The latest announcement brings the lineup to more than 1,500 confirmed artists, including Âme, Angel D’lite, Bad Boombox, BASHKKA, Ben Klock, Boris Acket, CARISTA, Colin Benders, DJ Stingray 313, Eric Prydz, HAAi, Hunee, Kittin & The Hacker, Maceo Plex, Max Cooper, Miss Monique, Narciss, Paul Kalkbrenner, Scooter and Todd Terry.

And that is only the halfway point.

By the time the full programme is announced, more than 3,300 artists will be performing at over 200 venues across Amsterdam. Choosing where to go will once again require military-grade planning, three group chats, two spreadsheets and at least one friend confidently saying, “Trust me, it’s only a ten-minute walk,” when it absolutely isn’t.

ADE 2026 continues to stretch far beyond the clubs. Boris Acket will present the monumental installation EINDER, while Het Nationale Ballet and ISH officially open ADE with Swan Lake Remixed—proof that even classical ballet isn’t safe from being given a heavier bassline during ADE week.

The Dome Concerts return to the ARTIS Planetarium and expand to Fabrique des Lumières, with Max Cooper, Colin Benders and others performing. Even the new ARTIS Aquarium is joining ADE with an immersive 4DSOUND experience. We have now reached the point where the fish have a more sophisticated sound system than most small clubs.

The iconic Gashouder will host Eric Prydz, Armin van Buuren b2b Benwal, Job Jobse, MOCHAKK CALLING and more. Paul Kalkbrenner brings his live concert experience to Theater Amsterdam with Loveland, while Scooter takes over the Ziggo Dome for SCOOTER CRUSHES ADE.

ADE Pro also returns with Jean-Michel Jarre and Lady Starlight discussing Music & Machines, while Marcel Dettmann joins Luciano to look back at more than three decades of shaping electronic music. Tinie Tempah, Nastia, Thys of Noisia, Kikelomo and Sofia Kourtesis are also among the artists appearing.

A special 30 Years of ADE session will bring together Anna Knaup, Maria Jimenez, Richard Zijlma, Jan-Willem van de Ven, Gary Smith and Mariana Sanchotene, moderated by Dave Clarke. There will also be a no-nonsense Artists on AI roundtable with Boys Noize, BT, Dave Clarke, Mathame and Portrait XO.

SoundCloud will discuss breaking independent talent with Silva Bumpa, Google DeepMind will explore music’s future in the AI era, and sessions with Denis Ladegaillerie, Troy Carter and Warner Music will examine artist development, management, publishing and the wider industry.

These are important conversations, usually attended by people wearing sunglasses indoors and clutching coffee as though it is specialist medical equipment.

Awakenings has revealed eight shows at the SugarFactory featuring Adam Beyer, Ben Klock, Benwal, DJ Gigola, DJ Heartstring, FUMI, Helena Lauwaert, JakoJako, Jeff Mills, Pegassi, Philippa Pacho and Prospa.

SPIELRAUM will take over Club RAUM for 55 hours with BASHKKA, Dasha Rush, DVS1, Mary Lake, Kittin & The Hacker, Octo Octa and Pariah. At my first ADE, 55 hours sounded like a challenge. Fifteen years later, it sounds like something that should require travel insurance and a doctor’s note.

Audio Obscura has also announced more than 40 artists across several events, including Amelie Lens, Bad Boombox, LAMMER, Patrick Mason b2b SPFDJ and WhoMadeWho.

ADE has grown enormously, but the beautiful chaos remains reassuringly familiar: impossible schedules, surprise sets, overcrowded WhatsApp groups, missed trams, unexpected reunions and the firm belief that you can attend six events at opposite ends of Amsterdam on the same night.

Amsterdam Dance Event returns from 21–25 October 2026. I’ll be there for my 16th year—older, supposedly wiser and still pretending that comfortable trainers are a fashion choice rather than a survival strategy.